Accessories

One perk of the job is trying out a wide variety of headsets. Two models that impressed me enough to fork over my own cash to own are the Bose A20 and the Clarity Aloft in-ear headset. In fact, I like the Clarity so much I find myself flying with it more than the Bose. Thats why I was anxious to try the new Air in-ear model from Las Vegas, Nevada-based Faro Aviation. Company principal Kevin Faro has been designing a series of aviation headsets since 1999, the result of his dissatisfaction with other headsets on the market. The company currently offers four models, to include the $190 passive G2, a $390 ANR version of the G2, the $690 flagship G3 and the $390 Air. Ive been flying with the Air for nearly a month, while also offering it up to passengers and other pilots to try. Heres a field report.

While researching information on aircraft corrosion and corrosion prevention, I ran across my nomination for understatement of the week in an FAA publication. It said, . . . the amount of maintenance required to repair accumulated corrosion damage and bring the aircraft back up to standard will usually be quite high. No kidding. The reality is staggering-some years ago I was shown the bills paid by an owner for corrosion repair. He had bought a Louisiana-based twin without a prebuy examination. Over the next two years he expended more than hed paid for the airplane to repair damage to the structure and skins from corrosion.

During our research, we asked static wick manufacturers about ICAW procedures (instructions for continued airworthiness) and all noted that aside from a preflight visual inspection, its important to look for signs of corrosion where the wick attaches to the skin. Additionally, you’ll want to inspect the tips. Testing rarely happens on the shop level.

We surveyed six of the more popular internet prep courses to see what was available, how they approached getting a student ready for the instrument written, what they cost and their convenience of use-notably whether they could be used on any internet-connected device or didnt require connectivity while using. We came away feeling all were good-its a competitive market and the high quality of the products reflects it.

In our world, the editorial year commences in the summer instead of January, and the anticipated editors choice awards focuses deserved attention on the products and companies that really impressed us in our coverage over the year. As we do every July, we take a half step back and tip the hat to a dozen of them on page 12 of this issue. But there was more that caught our attention the past editorial year, some of it unforgettable. If we had a worst news of the year award, there would be takers.

If you were a dedicated Cub aficionado and wanted to build yourself the ultra version of the essential Cub idea, what would you do? Youd start with the basic planform, update it with edge-of-tech materials and build methods-carbon fiber, CNC-cut parts, modern avionics-all buttressed with an aerodynamic makeover to tweak performance. Then youd send the airplane to the place that designs and builds seats for Bentleys and Ferraris and tell them to go wild.

The stars have aligned just right-your local airport has a waiting list for hangar space, you are unwilling to park your airplane at a tie-down and the airport has land it will lease at a reasonable rate. This is your chance to create a hangar that will suit your airplane-and potentially your need to spend quality time with your airplane. As we got into our hangar research we were amazed at the number of companies that sell pre-engineered hangars, many offering turnkey erection. Almost all are metal building manufacturers that build hangars as one of their clear-span products. Most will work with you to match the demands of your site and help you with what may be a complex approval process for construction on a public-use airport.

Your research into building a hangar should include getting answers to at least the following questions, many of which are outlined on Erect-A-Tubes website: 1. What are the Airport Minimum Standards regarding hangar construction? 2. What are the construction, permitting and inspection standards for all political entities with jurisdiction over the hangar? 3. Will the hangar impinge on runway protected airspace or ATC control tower sightlines? 4. What are the land lease terms? 5. Will hangar ownership revert at the…

My landings are a lot like my golf drives-inconsistent. Thats why I was anxious to check my cockpit seating position with the Eye Aligner, a portable leveling device developed by Florida-based FAA designated examiner Tripp Wacker. After 30 years of administering checkrides, Wacker recognized that landing and airwork performance were proportional to the correct view over the glareshield, but he didnt invent the aligner concept.

Just in time for the fresh flying season, David Clark throws another noise-cancelling headset into the competitive market, the One-X. At first blush, the new model looks a lot like the previously released Pro-X, but it has major design differences that contribute to better performance, while affecting comfort. It also has a higher price. Lets take a look.

FlyQ has been characterized by a design that maximizes screen space for maps, buttons that are large enough to hit on the first try, easily readable fonts, color-coding for alerts that minimize distractions and a touchscreen set up with turbulence in mind. The recently released Version 2.2 provides, among other new features, a three-times faster mapping engine, new base maps and over 4600 Seattle Avionics-devised airport diagrams for airports that do not currently have FAA diagrams.

Adevice called the Eustachi is being marketed to pilots as an alternative to the Valsalva maneuver theyve been using for years. You know the drill-pinch your nose and blow to unclog blocked ears during and after a descent. While that can generally do the trick, Minnesota-based Exercore says its Eustachi product is far more effective.